WATCH: This Is Joanna Gaines’ Secret for a Kitchen with Wow-Factor

If there’s one thing Joanna Gaines knows, it’s how to transform a kitchen. Speaking with PureWow recently, the miracle-working mother-of-five was kind enough to share her go-to trick for making even the most ordinary kitchen pop. Her magic wand? A paintbrush, of course!

In the kitchen, Gaines said she swears by high-contrast color combos to create wow-factor. For example, she suggests mixing and matching your upper, lower, and island colors, as opposed to sticking with a monotone cabinetry palette. Using shades of black and white is another timeless, Joanna-approved way you can create contrast in your kitchen without turning stomachs.

But don’t just stop at the paint job. According to Gaines, the hardware (the knobs, pulls, hinges etc. that outfit your cabinets) can also pack a punch in the design department. “I think that hardware plays such a huge part in the style of a space,” she told PureWow. You wouldn’t want modern chrome pulls on your antique shaker cabinets, now would you?